Method of manufacturing a structural panel



June 24, 1958. H. A. BERLINER ,8

I METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A STRUCTURAL PANEL Filed March 12, 1956 -H 7.]V H ..fM

INVENTOR HENRY A. BERL lNER .B 9L fan/40V ATTORNEYS of the finishedpanel.

United States Patent METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A STRUCTURAL PANEL Henry A.Berliner, Washington, D. C.

' Application March 12, 1956 Serial No. 570,913

2 Claims. (Cl. 25-154) This invention relates broadly to the art ofbuilding construction and, more particularly, to the manufacture ofpre-fabricated structural members adapted to be used in the constructionof buildings of all types.

In my co-pending application Ser. No. 382,677, no abandoned, forPre-Fabricated Building Construction Panel, I have described and claimeda building construction panel of new and improved structure, havingexterior slabs or layers of hard, strong cast aggregate, andintermediate slab or layer oflightweight aggregate of low strength, acorrugated sheet of metal embedded in the intermediate slab, and ametallic frame surrounding the entire cast and embedded structures.There are many obvious ways by which this new and improved panel may bemade but bythe present invention I have 'provided a simple, easilypractised, inexpensive and quick method of making the panel which, byreason of its advantages, permits the panel to be made either at acentral place or on any construction job in a minimum time and atminimum expense.

The invention is described in the following specification andillustrated in the accompanyingudrawing, in

which:

Figs. 1 to 6 show successive steps in the method of making a buildingconstruction panel according to the invention. r

The building construction panel to which the invention relates and whichis made by the method provided by the invention, is a composite, flatpanel comprising a thick layer or slab of lightweight aggregate which isrelatively impervious to the passage of heat and moisture but which haslow resistance to mechanical action, and having embedded therein acorrugated member formed of perforated sheet metal which is theprincipal loadbearing member of the panel. At one or both faces of thisslab there are relatively thin layers or slabs of hard, relativelyheavy, high strength concrete aggregate which may have a reticulatedreinforcing sheet embedded therein and which are homogeneously united tothe slab of lightweight aggregate to provide a monolithic structure.

A metallic frame surrounds the entire periphery of this panel andreceives the edges of the corrugated member to insure that thecorrugated member will carry any loads to which the panel may besubjected.

In the manufacture of this panel by the method according to theinvention a flat horizontal surface 2 is provided and on this is placedor spread a separating agent'4 which may be a fabric, a chemicalseparating agent, a plastic sheet, oil or other material which willprevent adhesion of a cast concrete aggregate to the surface 2. On thisseparating agent there is then placed a Wooden frame 6 which, in theusual manufacture of a panel of rectangular shape, is itself rectangularin shape and of internal dimensions equal to the internal dimensions ofthe inturned flange 8 which forms part of the peripheral frame 10 whichsurrounds and forms part The frame 6 is deep enough to permit a layer ofconcrete aggregate to be poured and p 2,839,812 Patented June 24, .1958

ice

' uniform depth equal to the requisite and designed thickness of oneof'the exterior layers of the panel. While the concrete is being poured,and for a short time thereafter,'the entire assembly of' surface 2,separating agent 4, frame 6 and fluid concrete 12 is given a rapidoscillating or vibratory horizontal movement by means sucha's the motorand unbalanced weight device shown at 14. When the aggregate 12 hasfully settled and has become 'sufficiently firm so that it will notslump the frame '6 is removed and the metallic structure 20, which withthe cast aggregate forms the completed panel, is placed on the surface 2in surrounding relation to the cast aggregate 12. As stated, the innerdimensions of 'the wooden frame 6 are equal to the inner dimensions'ofthe flange 8 which forms part of peripheral frame member 10 andtherefore the innerperipheral edge of flange 8 will just abut theperiphery of the cast aggregate 12 at the lowest part thereof. However,'the concrete 12 may be flowed into the space above flange 8 and withinthe frame 10, as shown in Fig. 4.

The metalic structural member of the panel comprises rugations of thesheet metal member 24 is approximately the same as the distance betweenthe ends of the upper and lower arms 26, 28 of the C-shaped part of theperipheral frame member and, as the edge parts of the corrugated memberare received within the C-shaped part of the frame member, it will beseen that the upper and lower surfaces of the corrugated member lieapproximately at the level of the inner ends of the strips 22. Thethickness or depth of the layer of aggregate 12 which is cast within thewooden frame 6 is preferably less than the width of the. strip 22.Therefore, when the structural member 20 is placed in position on thesurface 2, as described hereinbefore, the upper surface of the layer 12of aggregate will lie below the lower surfaces of the corrugations ofthe member 24 and below the upper longitudinal edge of the lower strip22, all as shown in Fig. 4. When the parts are in the described positiona lightweight, low-strength aggregate 30 is poured within the peripheralframe member 10 to approximately the level of the upper surface of thecorrugations of member 24. While this pouring is continued and for ashort time thereafter, the oscillating or vibrating mechanism 14 isoperated in order to insure that the aggregate 30 and layer 12 mergecompletely along and over their contacting surfaces in order to providea homogeneous and monolithic mass. The vibratory movement also insuresthat all parts of the structure will be completely filled withaggregate. The aggregate 30 is poured to such a depth that its uppersurface is above the lower surface of the upper strip 22 and the spaceabove the aggregate 30 and defined by this peripheral strip may now befilled with aggregate 32 which will provide a hard, highstrengthconcrete material when hardened. This material is poured until its topsurface is flush with the upper flange 8. During this final pouringoperation the structurein order to insure that the upper layer 32 ofhard, high-strength aggregate merges completely with the center layer ofthe light-weight low-strength aggregate 30 over their entire contactingsurfaces; The entire cast structure is. now allowed toharden and is thenremoved from the surface .2. .The resulting product. is a generallyfflat: panel comprising a relatively thick slab'of lightweight,low-strength aggregate filling and embedding the corrugated metal member24, which forms the principal structural member of the panel. On one orboth surfaces of this slab are relatively thin layers or slabs of highstrength, hard concrete aggregate. The entire cast structure iscompletely surrounded by the frame member 10 and it will be noted thatthis peripheral frame member provides a mold within which the centraland .upperslabs of aggregate are cast. The peripheral frame member iscompletely filled by cast aggregate.

-', While I have described and illustrated one method according to myinvention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that otherembodiments, methods and steps, as well as modifications of thosedisclosed, may be made and practised without departing in any way fromthe spirit or scope of the invention, for the limits of which referencemust be had to the appended claims.

What: is claimed is: v

p 1. The methodof manufacture of a structural panel a light-weight,low-strength concrete on the previously cast layer and within and to alevel below the upper surface of the surrounding peripheral metallicframe member, and casting a third relatively thin layer of aggregatewhich forms a hard, high-strength concrete on said second layer andwithin the surrounding peripheral metallic frame member, and allowingsaid layers of cast aggregate to harden.

2.,The method of manufacture of a structural panel which consists incasting a relatively thin layer of an aggregate which forms a hard,high-strength concrete, while said layer is sufficiently firm that itwill not slump but before it has set-placing about its periphery ametallic frame member having an inwardly facing C-shaped cross sectionwith the layer of aggregate within the crosssection of the peripheralmetallic frame member, pouring a relatively thick layer of aggregatewhich forms a light-weight, low-strength concrete on the previously castlayer and within the surrounding peripheral metallic frame member, andcasting a third relatively thin layer of aggregate which forms a hard,high-strength concrete on said second layer and within the surroundingperipheral frame, allowing said layers of cast aggregate to harden, andsubjecting the cast aggregate to rapid vibratory movement during eachpouring operation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

